Hypnotism; some believe that it’s nothing more than a
con, others that it really can help people to quit smoking, overcome their
phobias and maybe even remember where they have hidden something very, very
important.

Prolific
British director Danny Boyle’s latest offering, Trance, follows auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy), who wakes up in
hospital after helping an armed gang, led by Franck (Vincent Cassel), to steal
a painting worth £25 million—Goya’s Flight
of the Witches. When the gang brings the painting back home, however, they
discover that it is not in its frame, and Simon is the only one who could have
hidden it. The problem is that Simon has lost his memory. After traditional gangland
techniques fail to make him remember its whereabouts, the gang decides that
hypnosis is their last chance and Simon calls hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb
(Rosario Dawson) to help locate the painting and save his life.

What
follows is a breathtaking exploration of the psyche and memory, with twists and
turns a-plenty. Who is working for whom? Who is the mysterious woman who keeps
cropping up in Simon’s regressions? And most of all, what happened to the
painting? Fans of films like Inception
will enjoy this suspense-ridden rollercoaster, and with all eyes on Danny Boyle
after his remarkable direction of the opening ceremony at the London Olympics
last year, the director continues his quality output with this intriguing look
at life’s darker aspects. (Of course, if only they’d known that the painting is
actually in storage at the Prado at the moment!)